1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engaging/disengaging type buckle or fastening device in which an insertion body of a male member is inserted into a housing of a female member. More particularly, it relates to a buckle or fastening device, which is suitable for use, when the surface of clothes, bag, carrier bag, package and the like is curved.
2. Prior Art
A buckle or a fastening device of every kind in which an insertion body of a male member is inserted into a housing of a female member has been widely used to meet the users"" demand. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-210 discloses a buckle that can readily fit the surface configuration of a product to be used. This buckle is, for example, provided with a male member 2xe2x80x2 which is comprised of a linking body 51xe2x80x2 and an engaging body 5xe2x80x2 as shown in FIG. 23. The linking body 51xe2x80x2 has a belt attaching member 7xe2x80x2, a pair of side frames 34xe2x80x2 and a base member 25xe2x80x2 which is rotatably pivoted between the pair of the side frames 34xe2x80x2. The engaging body 5xe2x80x2 has an engaging portion 29xe2x80x2 and a connecting portion 50xe2x80x2 which is rotatably pivoted at the base member 25xe2x80x2.
The female member 1xe2x80x2 is comprised of a belt attaching portion 38xe2x80x2 and a housing 4xe2x80x2. The housing 4xe2x80x2 has an engaged portion 15xe2x80x2 with which the engaging portion 29xe2x80x2 engages so as to be rotatable. When tension is applied while the male member 2xe2x80x2 and female member 1xe2x80x2 are connected with each other, the other members including a belt, which are attached to the male member 2xe2x80x2 and the female member 1xe2x80x2, can rotate around the axes of three directions.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-154711 discloses a buckle of such a type that tensile load applied to the male member 2xe2x80x3 and the female member 1xe2x80x3 becomes compression load which engages both the members. This buckle, as shown in FIG. 24, comprises a female member 1xe2x80x3 which has a housing 4xe2x80x3 at one end and a first attaching portion 52xe2x80x3 at the other end for attaching the belt Bxe2x80x3, and an insertion body 5xe2x80x3 which has an insertion leg portion 26xe2x80x3 at one end, which can be inserted into the housing 4xe2x80x3 detachably and a second attaching portion 52xe2x80x3 at the other end for attaching the belt Bxe2x80x3. The second attaching portion 52xe2x80x3 is provided on an L-shaped rotary attaching member 54xe2x80x3 separated from the insertion body 5xe2x80x3.
An end portion of the L-shaped rotary attaching member 54xe2x80x3 is attached to the insertion body 5xe2x80x3 so as to be rotatable. After the insertion body 5xe2x80x3 is inserted into and engaged with the housing 4xe2x80x3, the male member 2xe2x80x3 and the rotary attaching member 54xe2x80x3 are rotated relatively to each other, so that the second attaching portion 52xe2x80x3 opposes the guide portion 55xe2x80x3 across the housing 4xe2x80x3. Consequently, tensile load applied to the female member 1xe2x80x3 and the male member 2xe2x80x3 via the rotary attaching member 54xe2x80x3 becomes compression load which engages both the members.
In the buckle as disclosed in said Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-210, the male member 2xe2x80x2 can be changed in three directions with respect to the female member 1xe2x80x2, so that the belt attaching member 7xe2x80x2 existing at a front end of the male member 2xe2x80x2 can be changed freely. However, because the belt attached to the housing 4xe2x80x2 cannot be varied freely with respect to the housing 4xe2x80x2, this is lack of adaptability to the surface configuration of a product to be used.
In the buckle disclosed in said Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-154711, the L-shaped rotary attaching member 54xe2x80x3 having the belt attaching portion is attached to the end portion of the insertion body 5xe2x80x3 of the male member 2xe2x80x3 so as to be rotatable. However, the buckle changes tensile load applied to itself to compression load by a special use condition of the buckle, for example by rotating the male member 2xe2x80x3 and the rotary attaching member 54xe2x80x3 relatively to each other after the insertion leg portion 26xe2x80x3 of the male member 2xe2x80x3 is inserted into and engaged with the housing 4xe2x80x3 of the female member 1xe2x80x3. Thus, the pulling direction of the belt Bxe2x80x3 with respect to the buckle cannot be changed freely.
The present invention has been achieved in consideration of the above-described problems. The present invention aims at providing a buckle or a fastening device of an insertion type of a male member with a female member, in which a belt linked with the buckle or the fastening device is capable of rotating freely with respect to the buckle or the fastening device in an uneven manner in a horizontal surface, which is easy to be adapted to a curve on the surface of a product for which the buckle or the fastening device is used, so that the fastening operation of the belt can be carried out easily and securely.
Further, in the buckle or the fastening device of the insertion type in which the belt attaching portion is capable of rotating freely, wherein the belt can be disposed on the female member and the male member with a simple mechanism and structure.
Furthermore, the buckle or the fastening device of the insertion type can be formed in such a type that the belt disposed in the female member or the male member can be adjusted in length with respect to only one of the members, or is formed in such a type that both of the members them fix the belt. Alternatively, the buckle may be formed in a type that the belt can be adjusted in length with respect to the both members. Consequently, the present invention aims at providing a buckle or fastening device of the insertion type which is adaptable for various kinds of products, and which has such a shape that is prevented from being raised when the belt is tightened so as to achieve stable belt tightening.
To achieve the above-described object, according to the present invention, there is provided a buckle or a fastening device of a type in which an insertion body of a male member is inserted into a housing of a female member, wherein the male member is comprised of the insertion body and a belt attaching frame, the insertion body and the belt attaching frame being formed separately while a base end of the insertion body and the belt attaching frame are linked with each other so as to be freely rotatable, and the female member is comprised of the housing and a belt attaching frame, the housing and the belt attaching frame being formed separately while a front end of the housing and the belt attaching frame are linked with each other so as to be freely rotatable. For convenience of description, the term xe2x80x9cbucklexe2x80x9d referred to herein after includes a fastening device.
Further, it is preferable that the male member has a pair of protruded pieces provided at both sides of a base member of the insertion body in a direction opposite to insertion leg portions protruded from the base member, shafts, which can hold the belt attaching frame such that it is freely movable, are provided so as to protrude laterally on outer faces of the protruded pieces, and shaft holes, which allow the shafts to be pivotally engaged therein so as to be freely movable, are provided at front ends of frame members of both sides of the belt attaching frame having a U-shape.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the female member has a pair of protruded pieces protruded outward at both sides of a front end of the housing opposite to an insertion opening thereof, shafts, which are capable of holding the belt attaching frame so as to be freely movable, are protruded laterally on outer faces of the protruded pieces, and shaft holes, which the shafts are capable of pivotally engaging so as to be freely movable, are provided at front ends of frame members of both sides of the belt attaching frame, which has a U shape.
Still further, it is preferable that the insertion body and the belt attaching frame, which compose the male member, and the housing and the belt attaching frame, which compose the female member, are formed by integral molding or extrusion using thermoplastic resin in such a state that the insertion body and belt attaching frame, and the housing and belt attaching frame are linked with each other, respectively.
Still further, it is preferable that one of the belt attaching frames disposed in the male member and the female member has a belt adjusting mechanism comprised of a hooking member for hooking a belt and a holding member for holding a belt, which are provided in parallel to each other, while the other one of the attaching frames has an attaching member for attaching a belt.
Alternatively, it is preferable that both the belt attaching frames disposed in the male member and the female member have only attaching members for attaching belts.
Still alternatively, it is preferable that both the belt attaching frames disposed in the male member and the female member have belt adjusting mechanisms each comprised of a hooking member for hooking a belt and a holding member for holding a belt, which are provided in parallel to each other.
Further, it is preferable that the hooking member for hooking the member and the holding member for holding the belt, which are disposed on the belt attaching frames provided on the female member and the male member, are disposed between right/left frame members such that the hooking member and the holding member are deflected upward of a center line of tensile load of the belt while a holding action point exists on the tensile line.
Furthermore, it is preferable that at the belt attaching frames provided in the female member and the male member, a blocking member for blocking a rise of the belt attaching frames when the belt is tightened is provided between the right/left frame members of the belt attaching frames on an outer side of the hooking member for hooking the belt and the holding member for holding the belt.